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Engines

I would always try to repair what you have however you are obviously thinking of options.
I think an O/b in a well is horrible. It is difficult to remove to reduce drag and it gets in the way of cockpit floor space.
I have an o/b on a bracket but then I don't use the engine anyway.

One design around here called a Marauder 24 has a half a well at the transom. The engine actually mounts on a transom in a well inboard by about 50cms from the main transom. The main transom has a cut out in it.
This puts the engine about 80cms forward of where it would be on a bracket so less pitching problems.
It is easily tilted back and up to reduce drag.
This works with an inboard mounted rudder. In your case I would consider building twin rudders either side of engine.
You might consider simply mounting the engine on the transom which perhaps can be cut low enough for your short shaft engine.
Just a few thoughts for your imagination. good luck olewill

Let's face it the most economic way would be to just buy a rise and fall bracket and hang a long-shaft o/b on the back - job done! The Slug is such a stubby little boat that with a long-shaft you would have to have the bow underwater before the prop would be out of the water the other end. And in any case as you have always expounded If its that bad I wont be out! You can then remove The Beast and either not worry about it ever again,restore it or sell it.

nowell nowell the angels did sing!

Why do people want to put OB s in wells?
So much Cockpit space lost and so much drag! My boat had an over sized OB in well when i bought her. I tried an OB bracket and that was horrible. Hanging over the transom to change gear etc. So I hung it on transom as close to rudder as i could. I fabricated a linkage that turns motor with rudder.
This is pin jointed and i remove it when tilting the motor. The swivel in the middle is for when i forget to remove it before tilting. I can steer from standing on cockpit seat with tiller extension which is handy in confined areas, and the prop never hits the blade. I can motor/sail with blade up or down, but with motor tilted, Ariel has a clean pair of heels, drag-wise.
Stub tiller is used as the main tiller pivots to lift blade. Wish i had spent more time on aesthetics as after 2 seasons prototype looks like a permanent fixture! Pics show motor in well as per original and current arrangement.

I have a Snapdragon 23, with an outboard in a Well and am currently rebuilding the well.

Firstly I must say that having a Well has had virtually no issues. The only concerns are that it saps a bit of cockpit space but to be honest, I think it would only be an issue with 4 in the cockpit and that the outboard leg needs some form of antifouling.
Oh and the engine is bleedin' heavy, but that's not the Well's fault.

The engine is a bit of a brute (10hp Honda 4-stroke) and that is supported by a 2 1/2 inch plywood supporting transom, which is bolted into the sides of the cockpit and through a thinner 3/4 inch plywood transom that makes up the inside 'wall' of the transom.

I'm only redoing it as the cockpit floor was a bit 'Heath Robinson' so i'm replacing all the wooden parts.

Fuel Tank sits in one of the cockpit lockers.

Boat came to me that way so I've not experienced without but it seems to work for me.

One important consideration, especially if you are venturing up north is the availability of fuel.

Getting hold of petrol (without a car) when in remote places will be a pain, I read in the PBO round britain book that diesel is easier to get hold of beside the sea than petrol in the remoter places in the highlands.